


Pretty Baby

by Aladin_Sane



Category: Baby Driver (2017)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Prompt Fill, Rape Aftermath, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 22:08:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11427183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aladin_Sane/pseuds/Aladin_Sane
Summary: Doc receives a tape in the mail, but it's not a song that Baby wrote.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt request for IfOnlyWeHadTalked
> 
> It ended up pretty dark, but that's what happens I guess. Also, I planned on ending it earlier but wanted to tease out the possibilities a bit more. 
> 
> If anyone has any requests, just leave a comment and I'll do my best!

They were working late again, just Doc and Baby going over the maps again and again. Debating routes and judging how bad the traffic was gonna be was always the most boring part of the a job. 

"Go get us some coffee. I think there's a place two streets over that's still open." Doc could tell that Baby was getting too antsy just sitting there. Talking about driving the cops in circles was like torture. Reminding him how good it felt to be doing it without giving him the opportunity to do so. 

Baby nodded, took the cash that Doc had dropped on the table and left. Honestly, he didn't mind running errands. It just gave him the opportunity to dance around to his music without being judged. 

He noticed someone was following him when he was almost to the coffee shop. It put him on edge, but he figured it was just some curious passerby. He probably made an odd sight, twirling and posing along with his music while he meandered down the street just past midnight. 

Before ordering the coffee, he putted around shop to kill time. Maybe if he waited long enough whoever it was would just go. After twenty minutes, he ordered the coffees and then started on his path back to Doc's safe house. 

Halfway there, he felt two big hands shove him against the wall. His face had barely hit the wall when he felt the burning warmth of another body against his back. Coffee spilled all down the front of his shirt, making him cry out as it burned. 

"Are you Doc's little pet? Where is he now?" The voice was gruff and made his chest rumble. The impact of it made Baby shiver nervously. 

"I don't, I can't tell you." 

"You've worked every job with him for the past ten years, you know more than anybody else. You're gonna tell me everything you know."

Baby didn't say anything. He wasn't gonna lie and say he didn't know anything, but he also would rather be killed right there on the street rather than betray Doc. 

Huge hands roamed over his body, checking his pockets. His ipod was thrown onto the ground, quickly followed by his keys and wallet. 

"What the fuck is this?" His tape recorder was shoved into his face. He didn't bother trying to talk. 

The man hit play and Doc's voice burst through the ringing in his ears. "Good thinking. Baby, you're a genius!" It sounded mocking with some man wrenching Baby's arm behind his back. 

"Oh, this is gonna be fun." He could hear the snarl in the man's voice. Between that and the way the air felt when his pants were wrenched down to his knees, Baby felt like the sidewalk was crumbling beneath his feet. 

He didn't go back to the safe house that night. He didn't go back the next day for the job either. 

"I sprained my ankle last night," he said when Doc called him. 

"I told you to stop dancing on your coffee runs, especially at night. When will you be good to drive again?"

"Three days?"

"I'll call you in three days."

Three days passed. Baby hadn't left the house once. He found out that those grocery delivery services were more valuable than he'd ever imagined. 

Every few hours, Joe would ask what was wrong. Baby just waved his hands dismissively and cleaned the sink for the third time that day. 

His burner buzzed and he answered it before the first ring was over. "My chicken's just laid a very big egg. Are you in?"

Baby licked his lips and coughed. "The last one gave me salmonella," he said before hanging up. 

The same conversation was repeated four more times before the end of the week. For another week after that, Baby just didn't respond. 

17 days after "The Incident" Doc kept calling. The buzzing of his phone was annoying rival to the ringing of his ears. He gave up and answered. 

"Don't hang up." Doc sounded mad. That was reasonable. "Either you come over here right now, or I'll send Griff and Buddy over. Sound like a plan?" 

"I'm coming." 

Every step towards the safe house felt like stepping closer to a bullet in the face. Baby kept his eyes shut all the way up the elevator. In the planning room, Buddy and Darling sat in their usual spots across from Griff, and Doc stood at the head of the table. 

"There he is. Baby, you've got some explaining to do," he said. 

Baby wanted to scream at him. He wanted to throw his ipod directly at Doc's head and shout "I didn't do anything wrong!" The desire to tear apart the room and make Doc see all that Baby had done for him, all that Baby had given up for him. 

So he just took off his sunglasses and set them on the table. 

Doc held up a yellow shipping envelope with stamps, the address of the safe house, and no return address. "Who did you tell?"

"Nobody." 

From inside of the envelope, Doc produced a tape that looked like all the ones that Baby made. "This looks like your doing," Doc said. 

"What's it called?" Darling asked. 

"Pretty Baby." Doc chuckled. "This ought to be good." 

Baby tilted his head to the side as Doc popped the tape into the player. The name of the tape made his skin crawl, but he didn't move. It couldn't be from that context. The man in the alley didn't get any information out of him. He wouldn't know where the safe house was. 

The song that played was soft, like a lullaby. Just light piano notes and chords from an acoustic guitar.

"Aren't you a pretty Baby?" He felt like his entire body lurched forward when he recognized that deep voice. The room felt like it was spinning, launching from side to side, but externally Baby stayed completely still. 

"Please turn it off," he whispered. He couldn't get his voice loud enough to be heard over the tape. That was when his voice pierced through the air over the tape. His breathy whines and desperate please sounded like glass shattering over the soft piano that still played. 

He coughed and tried again. "Please turn it off," he said a little louder. Doc looked up at him, shock and concern written all over his face. Baby hadn't ever seen Doc look like he didn't know what to do. 

He just meant to say "turn it off" again, but he ended up just screaming along with the tape. He leaned forward and gripped the edge of the table.

"Please, Stop! Please! Help! Doc Doc! Help, Doc! Stop it, Stop!" His face was bright red, his vocal chords strained in his neck. His knuckles were turning white as he gripped the table even tighter. Spit was hitting the table in front of him, but he couldn't stop yelling. Even with the tears streaming down his face, his current voice was a direct contract from the voice on the tape. There he sounded weak and sad, too tired to keep fighting. But in the room with Doc, almost three weeks later, he was shouting with anger. 

It was Buddy who moved first. Baby hadn't even realized that anything in the room had chanced until Buddy's arms wrapped around him tightly. His gut reaction was to elbow Buddy in the face and run, but then Buddy's voice over the recording. 

"It's alright, Baby. Nobody's going to hurt you, you're safe now. It's over, you're safe." It was a soft voice, vaguely parental in its tone. Like Baby was a toddler who'd just woken up from a nightmare. 

The music started dying down, all that was left was that low growl of a voice. "Aren't you a pretty Baby?" repeated over and over. 

Griff jerked to his feet and shot the tape player three times when Baby started retching. All eyes in the room turned to him, but Griff kept his gaze out the window over Darling's head. 

"Did you see his face?" he asked. He sounded slightly pained, like something was lodged in his throat. 

"No." 

All the anger and emotion had drained out of Baby. He was slumped against Buddy, his legs about as useful as jello. Buddy's hand was gently stroking his hair, still whispering to Baby. He eased them both slowly to the floor, letting Baby collapse completely. 

After another few minutes, Baby returned back to the empty feeling from before the tape played. No more anger, or fear. Just a numbness deep in his core. He wiped his face and laughed at his own immaturity. He'd barely even spoken in front of these people and here he was, having a tantrum. 

"I'm sorry. This is-" He cut himself off with another embarrassed laugh. "This is so dramatic. I'm sorry." 

"Don't be sorry. Don't ever, Jesus, Baby. You have no reason to be apologizing." Doc took his classes off and set them next to the destroyed tape player. "I'm gonna find out who did this and kill them." 

"Can I stay here for a few nights? Just maybe two or three? I don't wanna go home. I'm afraid something could happen to Joe." Baby realized what he'd said and mentally kicked himself for slipping up like that. "My, my roommate."

"Stay with me and Buddy?" Darling said. She hadn't moved a muscle the entire time, frozen in fear. As she spoke, she turned slowly to face the still crumpled mess on the floor that was Baby. "If anything happens, we can protect you. This place is dead empty at night, and the beds aren't comfortable." 

Baby didn't know what to say. The first thing that hit him was relief, a burning desire to be tucked away safe in a bed with two people he trusted just around the corner. Immediately after came the shame of it all. He wasn't the stoic getaway driver anymore. He wasn't much more than just dead weight, a burden that Buddy and Darling hadn't signed up for. 

"Baby, it'd make me feel a lot better if you stayed with them for awhile," Doc said. "They knew about your tapes. We don't know how much they know at this point. You can either stay with me, or with those two, but you shouldn't be going home. It's incredibly easy to break into, if I'm being honest with you. I can set up guards to watch over your building for your Joe, but I am going to relocate you to a safer neighborhood."

Baby chose Buddy and Darling. Doc was already doing so much, he felt guilty asking for a bed too. They were nice on the walk home, Darling held his hand the whole way and Buddy walked too steps behind, his gun in hand. 

They set him up on the couch, lots and lots of blankets and pillows. Darling lit candles that smelled like apple pie. She scooped up Baby's feet and dropped them on her lap while Buddy passed out mugs of coffee. 

"We're just gonna watch a movie and then we're going to go to bed. Our room's right through there. If you need anything, then just yell," Buddy said. 

They turned on a movie, Lilo and Stitch, and they all settled in. Baby fell asleep before Stitch was even introduced. 

He jerked awake a few hours later, the feel of calloused hands on his skin and his body sticky with sweat. The movie was over, but both Buddy and Darling were still there. Darling was asleep, curled up around Baby's legs with a pillow balanced on his knees to make herself more comfortable. 

"She didn't wanna leave you alone," Buddy said. Baby looked at him, shocked to see him still up. Some sitcom was playing on the t.v. but Buddy wasn't looking at it. His eyes were focused on the door, a shotgun resting against his leg and a pistol hanging loosely in his hand. He looked like a statue. 

"Sorry," Baby muttered. Buddy didn't look like he'd slept at all. 

"You're a good kid, Baby. A damn good kid, alright? You didn't deserve it. Do you know that?" He waited for Baby to nod. "If I ever find that son of a bitch, I'm gonna wring his neck until-"

"Don't. Don't worry about it, okay? It's alright, it's over. I'm fine." Baby looked towards the door, tried not to imagine it swinging open. "It's alright, it's over, I'm fine." 

"I'm sorry for grabbing you earlier. I should've been more sensitive." 

"It's okay." 

"Griff stopped by while you were asleep. He went by your place to get some of your stuff. He thought these would help." Buddy dropped a plastic bag full of ipods into Baby's lap. "New earbuds too. The wires were exposed on yours." 

Baby didn't know what to say, so he chose to not say anything. Instead he rummaged around until he found an old blue ipod. He plugged in the earbuds and handed one to Buddy. 

"What is this?"

"Requiem Mass in D Minor. Mozart." 

Buddy laughed quietly and took Baby's hand in his. He started rubbing the back of Baby's hand slowly. "Get some sleep, kiddo."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby's having a tough night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, laying in bed under the covers, about to fall asleep: "Damn, I should add another chapter to that fic." 
> 
>  
> 
> Side note: Why do I hate calling them Jason and Monica so much? Like, they're in their own home?? Why can't I do it??

Darling had always been a lighter sleeper than Buddy. Practically any noise in the house could wake her up. 

Which is why she felt fear jerk through her when she saw a man standing over her bed. 

She sat up quickly, pulling the gun out from under her pillow. Taking a deep breath in preparation to scream Buddy awake, she aimed the gun at the intruder. That's when she noticed the way he raised his hands and shrunk away in fear. 

"Oh, God," she said, dropping the gun on the nightstand. "Oh, my God, Baby, I'm so sorry." 

"Sorry. I shouldn't, I should've..." He cut himself off, looking down at his bare feet and wriggling his toes in the lush carpet. 

"No no no, don't worry. What do you need?" 

He just stood there, staring at the ground for a bit longer. Darling waited patiently. He'd talk when he was good and ready. 

"I can't stop thinking about it." His voice was little more than a whisper, just barely audible even in the dead of night. 

Darling lifted the corner of the covers and reached out to grab his wrist. "Get in here, love, I'll take care of you." 

Baby laid down beside her, flat on his back and as close to the edge of the mattress as possible. Darling wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him closer. He shuffled over but still looked uncomfortable. 

"There's plenty of space for you, don't worry." Darling planted a little kiss on his cheek and checked his ipod. "Bowie, huh?" 

Baby nodded and turned his head to look at her. "Labyrinth Soundtrack."

"Groovy," she teased. 

A shadow of a smile crossed his face, quickly replaced by a deeply pained look. He shifted in place uncomfortably and coughed a little bit. One hand went up to rub at his neck as he kept squirming. 

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Darling asked. 

He shrugged, his eyes darting around the room as if he was checking to see how many people were around. His throat felt tight, his skin felt like a suit that was too small for his body. 

Darling grabbed a throw blanket and pulled it over both of their heads. "There. Now it's just us. Okay? Nothing else in the world exists, it's just me and you. Can I have an earbud?" 

He nodded and she plucked it from his ear. The song was slow and sad, just lamenting vocals and soft piano keys. It was a love song, but the kind that made her heart wrench sideways. 

Gently, she pulled Baby so he was curled up on his side. He shuffled closer, until they were cross-eyed looking at each other. Darling used one of his arms as a pillow, held the other in her hand between their chests. Their legs tangled together, one of his curling up around her waist. Her free hand went down to carefully rub his thigh over his flannel pajama pants. Twins sharing a womb, she thought with a smile. 

"How do you feel?" she asked. 

"Safe." 

"Good. Feel ready to talk?" 

He nodded and squeezed his eyes shut. "I, I can't stop... feeling it. It's like I'm always, like he's always gonna be..." Baby swallowed hard, a shaky breath ghosting over Darling's face. "Sometimes I don't feel like my body is mine anymore," he confessed quickly. 

Darling kissed the tip of his nose and squeezed his hand. "It's alright. It's over now and it's never going to happen again."

"You don't know that." 

"I do. Because I'm never gonna let you out of my sight ever again. And if anyone ever looks at you in a way you don't like, I'll kill 'em." 

That got a small smile out of him. "Really? Anyone?"

"Anyone. Maybe even if it was Buddy. I'll let you know when the time comes." 

He gave a short laugh, just enough to shake both of them before they settled back into the blankets. Darling felt the mattress shift behind her and heard a quiet sigh. 

"Is somebody else in my bed?" Buddy asked, sitting up and looking at the two covered lumps beside him. 

He yanked the blanket back and Darling looked up at him with a smile that made his heart flip flop adoringly. Baby, however, didn't know where to look but for sure didn't want to be looking at Buddy. His whole body went tense. He knew how this looked. What kind of guy climbs into bed with another's wife, while he's still there? 

"Did something happen?" Buddy asked. 

"Baby's having a tough night," Darling explained. 

"Jesus, Baby, don't look so guilty. You're not in any trouble. I'm not gonna throw you out of here. Do you want a glass of water?" Buddy stood up and stretched, checking the clock. 3:14 am. He figured he wouldn't be getting anymore sleep with Baby in this condition. 

When he left, Baby set up, pulling out his earbud and leaving it on the pillow beside Darling. "Everything okay?" she asked. 

"I should go. I don't wanna ruin anything." 

She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Stop it, you," she said, dragging him back down onto the bed. "Buddy and I invited you into our home and decided to take care of you. No matter what that means. If you need to curl up in bed with us, then we'll make space for you. Besides, this is a big mattress. A custom California King."

Baby wrapped his arms around her, buried his face in the crook of her neck. "I'm sorry," he murmured. 

Buddy came back then, three glasses of water balanced in his arms. "One for me, one for my darling, and one for our baby," he said mainly to himself as he set them on the nightstands. "Now, what's going on?" 

Baby mumbled something into Darling's neck. "He's just tired. The anxiety is making his back hurt," she told Buddy. 

He laid down beside the two of them, gathering them both in his arms. Baby's hand reached around Darling and fisted in Buddy's pajama shirt. His hand practically clawed at Buddy's back as he kept trying to get closer to the couple. 

"Shh, it's alright. Don't worry anymore, Baby, I've got you," Darling whispered, both her hands wrapped around Baby's head. His chin nestled against Darling's shoulder, her hands dragged up and down his spine. 

Buddy held his lips against Baby's forehead. "It's okay. Hey, Baby, look at me." He waited until their eyes met. "We're gonna get you through this, okay? Just trust me and Darling. Do you think you can do that?" 

Baby nodded, but his face was wet. Buddy used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the tears and then pressed one kiss to each of Baby's eyelids. He reached around blindly to find the earbuds and gently tucked them into Baby's ears. 

He started thumbing through the songs, playing about 30 seconds of each one and then changing it when Baby didn't react. He felt stupid, but he wanted to pick exactly the right song. Something on this ipod had to make Baby feel better. 

With one song, he noticed that Baby whispering the words to himself. Buddy checked the song. "Easy" by The Commodores. He smiled to himself and ruffled Baby's hair. 

"Think he's gonna be okay?" Darling asked quietly as Baby fell asleep curled in her arms. 

"He's a tough kid. He'll be okay," Buddy said. He'd lied to stop Darling from worrying before, but that wasn't one of those times. He could just tell.


	3. Chapter 3

Before everything happened, Baby didn't sleep much. At this point, he had stopped sleeping altogether. He'd lay in bed, one earbud in and listen to the sounds of the house settling. Then, when he was sure that Buddy and Darling were asleep, he put in the other earbud and started to just walk. 

The house was big and old, the wood creaked under Baby's bare feet when he walked. He was the ghost that haunted the halls at night. His own cries and screams from the dreaded night filled the rooms he walked past, the man's laughter followed him everywhere he went. Baby moved from room to room, ran his fingers over the furniture that decorated them. His favorite was the sitting room in the basement. The room was always 10 degrees colder than the rest of the house from being buried in the ground, but there was a fireplace along the wall. He never dared to light it, but he liked to look at it. While the cold air spread into his bones, he imagined the roar of the flames. 

"You still up?"

Buddy's voice made Baby jump out of his skin. His hands gripped the armchair in front of him and his spine straightened like the string of a violin. He could feel Buddy moving closer, but he didn't move. Not until he could feel the warmth of another body just behind him. 

"It's alright, you know. You don't have a bed time," Buddy teased. 

Baby just nodded, tried not to think too hard. Buddy was bigger than him, stronger than him by a lot. His brain flooded with the reminder of what happened last time someone stronger than him was this close behind him. He swallowed hard and tried to tell himself that Buddy wasn't going to hurt him. But his whole body was screaming the word "Run" over and over like a broken record. 

"Do you want me to light the fire?" Buddy asked. 

"It's fine." The sound of his own voice made Baby cringe. He sounded as scared as he felt, and that was what Doc always told him not to let happen. 

"The minute you show fear is the minute they have control, Baby. Never make that mistake, understood?" Doc had said after one of their first jobs together. That advice had been so deeply etched into Baby's skin that he'd bought 13 pairs of sunglasses with his first paycheck, just to keep his eyes hidden. 

"Everything alright, Baby?" Buddy put his hands on Baby's shoulders and pressed their bodies together. Gently, he moved one hand to circle Baby's chest with his arm, trying to recreate the soft physical comfort from the night Baby crawled into bed with him and Darling. 

Baby's muscles went tense beneath Buddy's touch. He wanted more than anything to say "Don't touch me, please give me space" but his mouth just couldn't move. Buddy wanted to touch him, and he didn't have any right to stop it. Part of him was afraid of what Buddy would do to him if he did try to stop it. 

But Baby's discomfort was practically palpable in Buddy's hands. As soon as he realized his mistake, Buddy backed off and moved to stand by Baby's side. He positioned himself roughly a foot away and a few steps in front of Baby, making himself completely visible. Baby visibly relaxed at the distance. 

"Do you know how to defend yourself?" Buddy asked. He closed his eyes and sighed. That sounded a whole lot more like a threat than he meant for it to. 

Baby shook his head, looking a little more nervous than he had a minute ago. 

"Do you know how to shoot a gun? Can you hold one?"

"No." 

"Well." Buddy checked his watch. "It's probably just about getting light outside. Whataya say we drive out to the shooting range and you can give it a shot?" He chuckled to himself. "Get it? Give it a shot?" 

Baby forced a small smile but otherwise didn't move. 

"You don't have to go if you don't want. I just think it might make you feel better if you know how to defend yourself." 

After a few moments of thinking, Baby nodded just once. "Okay."

"You wanna do it?" 

"Yes." 

"Great! Good, we can leave now."

"What about Darling?"

"Do you want her to come? I can wake her up." 

Baby thought about that too. It was so early, and he knew from experience that Darling would do anything in her power to stay in bed until noon. "No, it's okay. You're..." No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of the right word. "Enough," he settled on. 

Buddy laughed. "Thanks." He lead the way up the stairs instead of having Baby walk ahead of him. "Oh, and if you change your mind at all, we can just come home. Or you can take the car for a spin and I'll have Darling come get me. You don't even have to say anything if you don't want to, you can just grab the keys and go." 

During the car ride, Buddy spent the time talking about nothing too specific. He babbled about needing to do the laundry, what they should pick up for dinner that night, and whether or not Netflix had every season of The Office (it did). Baby didn't really say anything in response, but he was grateful for the conversation anyways. 

"Say, what's your real name, Baby?" Buddy asked, suddenly stopping his monologue. 

"Huh?" 

"I'm Jason, Darling is Monica. What do the people in your life call you?" 

"Baby," he said with a shrug. 

"Your real name is Baby? You're telling me that if I look at your driver's license, it's gonna say 'Baby' on it?" 

"I don't have a driver's license." 

Buddy's face cracked into a wide smile, his chest shook with laughter as he parked the car. "Of course you don't. Why the hell would you, a driver, need one?" 

"I'm faster than the police anyways." 

They got out of the car and stood at the edge of the shooting range. Baby kept his hands shoved in his pockets, gently rocking from side to side. Buddy held out a pair of earmuffs for him, but he just stared at them. 

"You should wear them. It'll prevent hearing damage." Baby shot him a look over the rim of his sunglasses. "Oh, right. Sorry. So, take this and hold it between these fingers." 

Buddy gently molded Baby's hand around the shape of the pistol. He kept his touches light trying to give Baby the option to shake him off if he wanted. Baby didn't move much, just let Buddy move him. He let Buddy raise his arms, square his shoulders, and aim the gun in his hands towards the target. When Buddy kicked apart his feet, Baby tried to swallow the bile that rose up in his throat. Buddy could feel the hiccup of his breath. 

"Do you need space? Do you wanna take a break for a moment?" 

He waited, but there wasn't any hint of a response. Carefully, he took his hands off of Baby's and moved to step back. 

"Wait." Baby took a deep breath. "I don't know what to do next." 

"Just pull the trigger. There's gonna be some recoil, so keep your wrists loose." 

"Recoil?" 

"Yeah. The gun's gonna kick back at you. It's scary, but it's okay." 

Buddy watched as Baby tightened and relaxed his grip. He shuffled his feet, then moved them back to where they'd been before. 

"Nervous?" he asked. 

Baby nodded. 

"That's alright. Hey, that's perfectly normal. I was scared shitless when I first shot a gun. Okay, here, keep your back straight, it'll help you aim." Buddy put his hands back on Baby, one in the center of his spine and the other helping Baby aim. He reached his thumb around Baby's hand to flip off the safety. "Alright, so, whenever you're ready, just pull the trigger."

"The trigger." His voice sounded breathy and quiet. 

"Yeah, the trigger. Just squeeze it."

"How hard?" 

"You'll know."

"What if I don't?"

"You will." 

Baby licked his lips, wriggled his pointer finger against the warming metal of the gun. "What if I don't, though?" 

Buddy closed his eyes for a moment. Patience had never been a virtue of his, but this was more important than any other situation. "If you don't pull hard enough, the gun won't shoot. If you pull too hard, it'll shoot just the same." Baby nodded and Buddy could see the tip of the gun shaking from his hands. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to," he said. 

The sound of the gunshot left Buddy's ears ringing for a second. The recoil jerked Baby's shoulder back against his and he caught him before the kid stumbled too much. He turned his head just slightly to check Baby's reaction. When he saw that crooked smile, he couldn't stop a similar one from growing on his face. 

"There ya go! That wasn't so bad, was it?" Buddy went to grab Baby's shoulders, but stopped himself last minute when he remembered that morning. His phone started ringing in his pocket, saving him from the awkward situation he'd created. "It's Darling, I'll just take this quick." 

Baby turned up the music on his ipod so that he wouldn't accidentally eavesdrop on their conversation. Gingerly, he turned the gun over in his hand. The barrel of it was hot from the shot earlier, and the handle was a little slick with sweat. He'd seen more guns than he could count in his lifetime, but he'd never been the one holding it. There had been guns pointed at him, pressed to his temple, shoved into the small of his back, but never in the palm of his hand.

It made him feel equal parts powerful and evil. How many times had he promised himself that he'd never be the one to pull the trigger? He was disgusted with himself, but mostly, he was proud. The feeling of having control over something, finally, spread through his veins like wildfire. Baby wanted more, right now. And that scared him more than having a gun between his eyes. 

"Hey, Baby? We gotta go home. Darling's having an emergency," Buddy said. His eyes looked wild, like he was seeing red. Baby's grip tightened on the gun instinctively. 

"What's wrong?"

"I'll explain in the car. Gimme the gun." 

Baby couldn't tell if Buddy was mad at him or something else. He held the gun just a bit closer to his body. "What's wrong?" he asked again, his voice tight. 

"It's not something you did. I promise, you're not in trouble. Okay? Give me the gun, we have to get you back to the house right now." 

The car ride wasn't as fun this time. Buddy didn't talk at all, didn't even turn on the radio. Baby kept his music quiet, afraid that if Buddy heard it he would snap. Knowing that Buddy wasn't upset with him was a relief, but not by much. Buddy was scary when he was angry, a type of scary that made Baby feel like a little kid hiding under his bed again. 

The car slid into the garage at a bad angle, but Buddy didn't bother trying to fix it. "Okay, you're going to stay here until I come get you. Actually, I want you in the driver's seat. And keep the car running. If the lights in here come on, I want you to get out of here and find Doc. No matter what. Make sense?" 

Baby didn't move, but his eyebrows pulled together slowly. 

"Tell me that you'll do as I say. Please, Baby?" Buddy grabbed his shoulder and waited for a nod. 

"Yeah, sure," Baby said, taking the keys from Buddy's hand. 

"Good. Okay." He pulled Baby in for a quick hug before leaving the car. "Everything's gonna be fine. Alright, Baby?"

"Alright." 

Baby slid into the driver's seat and started up the car again. The seconds dragged out into minutes. Three songs played all the way through. Fear started to squirm at the back of his mind. Were they dead in there? Were they fighting? Was it because of him? He wanted to leave right now, just to avoid having to deal with any confrontations. But that would mean stealing their car, and the last thing he wanted was to have Buddy and darling hunting the streets of Atlanta for him. 

He was on his tenth song and he still hadn't gotten any signs from inside. Baby set his jaw and turned off the car. Time to be a big boy, right? 

Darling and Buddy were sitting side by side at the kitchen table, their backs to the doorway. A laptop was opened between them and Darling was clicking between the same two pictures. 

"What are we going to do?" she was asking, her head pressed against Buddy's stomach. 

"We're gonna kill that son of a bitch. We, we can just keep Baby here. Lock him up, never let him out of our sight. We can move him into our room, keep watch," Buddy said. 

"What's happening?" Baby asked. 

Both of them turned to look at him, their eyes wide in shock. Without thinking, Baby marched closer to them. Darling stood to meet him, put her hands on his chest to stop him from coming closer. He craned his neck to look around her at the laptop screen. 

On it was a picture of him and Buddy at the shooting range, just that morning. The sun was still coming up, and the picture had been zoomed in but not by much. The image was still clear. Whoever took the picture had been at least within earshot of them. 

"What is that? Who took that?" 

"Don't worry, Baby. Don't think too hard about it. Do you wanna go out for breakfast? We can go to that diner you like," Darling said, cupping Baby's face in her hands. 

He weaved a bit back and forth, trying to see around her. After a fake left, he darted out his right hand and clicked to the second picture. His knees went weak. If Darling hadn't grabbed him tightly by the waist, he would've hit the ground. 

The picture was a little blurry, and the face in it was dirt smudged and tear stained, but unmistakably Baby's. The hand pulling on his hair was almost the size of his entire head. Though the image was still, Baby could see himself fighting against that hold. Over the music in his ears, he could hear his own screaming and crying. At some point he thought he started whispering the things he'd shouted that night, but by the time he realized he was doing it he didn't know how long it had lasted. 

Darling pushed his head into her shoulder and started rocking him slightly back and forth. His neck hurt from bending down, but he felt too weak to stand on his own. Buddy closed the laptop and pushed it away. Before he could spend too long wondering what to do, Baby caught his wrist in an iron grip. He let himself get dragged closer and pressed his lips to the back of Baby's neck, right at his hairline. 

"I can't do this," Baby whispered into the crook of Darling's neck. 

"Yes you can, it'll be alright. We won't let anything happen to you. We're right here, Baby, you're safe. I promise that nothing bad will happen to you," she murmured back. Buddy made a quiet sound of agreement and gently stroked that soft brown hair. 

Baby didn't say that they were too late, that something bad already happened. He didn't say that there was no way for him to be safe while whoever did that to him could still contact the people around him. And he for sure didn't say that there wasn't anything anybody could do to help him now.


	4. Chapter 4

Darling called Doc as soon as she and Buddy had gotten Baby to calm down. He was sat on the couch now, holding a mug of coffee between his hands that he wasn't drinking. Baby not eating or drinking wasn't that abnormal, but it was still worrying. 

"Hmm," Doc said into the phone. There was a brief pause, and Darling couldn't even guess at what he was thinking. "I'm going to be staying with you three for a few days." 

Before she could respond, the dial tone played. She turned towards Buddy, who was trying to have a conversation with a non responsive Baby. "Doc's on his way," she said. 

Baby stood up and set the mug on the coffee table in front of him. He jammed his feet into his sneakers, not even seeming to notice that he was crushing the heels in the process. 

"Where are you going?" Buddy asked. 

"To get Doc." Darling grabbed him by the elbow and turned him back towards the couch. "I'm his driver," he said, looking a little worried. 

"He can get here just fine. Why don't you just take it easy?" Buddy said. 

Baby didn't look convinced, but he did as he was told. He ached to be behind the wheel of a car again. How long had it been? Days? Weeks? Time had blurred into something meaningless. He hadn't realized how dependent he'd been on driving until it'd been taken away from him. 

Doc arrived shortly. He didn't say anything to Baby when he walked by to set down his things in the guest bedroom. "Is this where Baby's been sleeping?" he asked.

"Well, he hasn't really been sleeping. Some of his stuff is in the room across the hall, but if he does sleep it's either..." Darling didn't really know if Baby wanted Doc to know he slept in bed with them sometimes. "He likes sleeping on the couch more. So he can watch the door."

"Hmm." Doc dropped his bag and didn't say anything more. He walked back into the living room, looking around like he was an inspector on a business call. 

Baby heard his footsteps first, launched himself on the other side of the couch away from Buddy and sipped his coffee nonchalantly. 

"What are you-"

"Can I get some cream and sugar?" Baby asked, interrupting Buddy quickly. 

"I should have known they'd pamper you here," Doc said. 

Baby looked at his socks, shame burning in his stomach. Darling moved to put her hand on his shoulder, but thought better of it. When Doc was in the room, Baby was a different type of person. Better not to push it. 

"Do you have a meeting space?" Doc asked. 

"Uh, we have a dining room," Darling offered. 

"That'll do. I've got some information that'll help you," he said. He started walking into the other room, the other three standing quietly to follow him. "Not you." Doc pointed to Baby and left the room without another look in his direction. 

Baby sunk into the couch. He knew that Doc was just doing what he thought was best, but it still felt like he was in trouble. Logically, he knew he hadn't done anything wrong. He had been doing barely anything at all lately. Thinking that way didn't stop him from feeling like a burden. 

What Doc said kept running through his head. "I've got some information that'll help you." That meant that Doc knew something about what happened, right? And Baby figured that, since he was the one it happened to, he deserved to know whatever it was. 

Anger flashed through him. They were in another room, talking about the bad thing that happened to him as if he didn't have a right to know. It was like they thought he was too young to know about it. Well, that was stupid. He was the one who lived through it. If anything, he should be the one trying to protect them. 

He was standing outside of the guest room before he consciously made the decision to move. In that brief moment, he tried to talk himself out if it. These were Doc's personal belongings. Doc hated when anyone knew anything about him. 

But Doc knew everything about Baby, and that wasn't fair. Baby twitched his lips and set his jaw before walking into the room. He deserved to know, he kept telling himself. This was about him, after all. 

He ripped open the holdall and started riffling through as carefully as possible. Making sure not to wrinkle or unfold them, he stuffed his hand between the two piles of clothes. At the bottom was a yellow folder. Jackpot. 

Carefully, Baby set the clothes on the bed and pulled out the yellow folder. He popped open the the top and slid out the papers inside. The top one had a mugshot of the man who attacked Baby printed on the left-hand side. Baby focused on the writing beside it. It was just a police rap sheet. 

"What do you think you're doing?" 

Baby dropped the folder and papers, took a big step back from the bed with his hands still in front of him. He didn't say anything, didn't turn to face Doc. That wasn't the kind of question he was supposed to answer. 

Doc walked up beside him, quietly took in the scene on the bed. It looked like a crime scene to Baby. As if he had sliced open and gutted a person instead of just a holdall. 

"Hmm," Doc mused, as he picked up the papers. "So. You live with Darling and Buddy for a few weeks and now you think you're entitled to rummage through my stuff?" 

"No, not at all," Baby said, his voice hardly more than a whisper. 

Doc turned on him and Baby took a step back instinctively. "Really? 'Not at all'? That's not what it looks like to me." 

Baby didn't say anything. 

Doc grabbed him by the arms and slammed him against the wall. "You've got a death wish, you little snoop. Are you trying to make me angry?" He shook Baby sharply, let his head snap back against the door frame. 

"No, I just wanted -"

"Is this fun for you, Baby? Because it isn't fun for me." One hand clenched into a fist, the other held Baby in place by his neck. 

"Doc. Stop!" 

Darling's voice snapped Doc out of it. With his fist still in position to swing, he turned to look at her. 

"He's scared," she said. 

Doc looked back to Baby, who had his head pointed down. His head snapped up suddenly, and Baby had that blank look on his face. The same one he always had when he knew Doc was about to teach him a lesson. It wasn't as strong as usual, Baby's lower lip quivered just slightly. 

Doc's fist uncurled by his side. His other hand slide down to rest open-palmed over Baby's heart. He'd planned on coming in her and treating Baby the same as always, but now he just felt like shit. 

"I'm sorry," Doc said, followed by a quick cough. "I didn't mean to -" 

"Stop," Baby interrupted. 

The three other faces in the room stared at him in shock. Doc was speechless. This was the first time he had ever been truly surprised by Baby. 

Carefully, Baby grabbed Doc's hand and molded it into a fist. He pushed it against his own cheek. His mouth became slightly squished form the firm pressure. 

"I'm still your driver," he said. 

Doc nodded in understanding. As ironic as it sounded, Baby was never one to be babied. He pulled his fist back and patted Baby's chest. 

"You're a good kid, Baby," he said. 

The force of the hit knocked Baby to the ground. Doc stepped back, pulling his shoes out of the "splash zone" when Baby spit out a bit of blood. Almost disinterestedly, he planted a swift kick into Baby's stomach. 

"Don't touch my stuff." 

"Yes, Doc." 

Baby picked himself up off the ground and pushed past Darling to leave the room. She glared at Doc for a moment before following. 

Doc decided not to worry about it. He riffled through the papers, still laid out on the bed. With a sigh, he glanced over the top sheet with the attacker's profile on it. His eyes scanned the sheet, looking for anything that could have made Baby upset. The whole thing was an emotional minefield. Doc counted his blessings, starting with catching Baby before he read anything that would hurt him. 

Dinner was tense. Baby sat right beside Doc, close enough where there elbows knocked together a few times. Darling didn't look thrilled by it, but she chose not to say anything. She probably would have if Buddy hadn't grabbed her wrist when she held her knife too tightly. 

Sure, she'd quit college before she could finish her psychology major. But she'd gotten far enough to recognize an unhealthy relationship. Darling also figured that she didn't need a degree to be able to say "Hey, Baby, maybe it's not super good for Doc to punch you and then for you to put him on a pedestal." But hey. Maybe it just wasn't her place to say anything. 

Buddy took her to bed early that night so she wouldn't start a fight. He patted Baby's back as he left the room, the most physical comfort he felt allowed to give. Even that had Doc watching him like a hawk. 

Doc went into the guest room to make a few calls. Just because he was taking time off didn't mean he didn't have shit to do. It took two hours to get everything in order for the next day, which was better than usual. 

The door swung open right as he was getting ready to change into his pajamas. Baby marched in, his wet sneakers squishing water onto the floor with every step. He stopped, standing exactly two feet away from Doc. His clothes were soaking wet, a puddle forming on the ground below him. He threw a set of car keys on the bed beside them. 

"What's this?" Doc asked. 

"I took your car." 

Doc watched him carefully for a moment. "Where did you go?" 

"The bridge." 

"Why were you down by the bridge?" Doc had to assume that Baby was talking about the bridge that went over the Chattahoochee river, where they dumped bodies and old getaway cars. Baby hated going there more than anything else. 

"I drove your car into the river." 

That explained why he was sopping wet. Doc looked him up and down slowly. 

"Why on God's green Earth would you do that?" He was trying to be patient. Really. Baby had been through a lot, it made sense that he would act out. That didn't change the fact that he really liked his brand new Mercedes. 

Baby didn't have an answer. He looked at the keys, as if they would give him an answer. Eventually he just shrugged. "I felt like it," he said. 

Doc rubbed his eyes. That was usually where it started. Baby braced himself for the first hit. 

He flinched hard when Doc just placed a hand on his shoulder. Doc didn't move or say anything until Baby looked up at him. 

"I know what you're trying to do. Dry off and then clean up this mess," Doc said firmly. 

"I don't know what you mean."

"I get it. You're scared, you're hurt, you don't know what's happening. You're trying to punish yourself because you feel like you're a hassle for everybody else. I'm not gonna participate. You don't deserve it." 

Baby stayed quiet, just looked blankly at Doc. When Doc realized that Baby wasn't going to say anything, he ruffled the mop of wet brown curls. 

"Just dry off and go to bed. I'll take care of this," he said. Baby nodded and started walking towards the door. "Oh, and Babe." He turned back to look at Doc, his expression unreadable. "Really go to bed this time. Don't make a song or whatever it is you do." 

"Yes, Doc."

Doc used a hand towel to wipe up the puddle Baby had left on the floor. He dropped the keys into the trash can, no need for those any more. After changing his pajamas, he slid into bed and nestled in. It wasn't until after he heard Baby's bed stop creaking that he finally turned off the lights.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter! (Unless I add an epilogue, I guess? Probs not? We'll see??) 
> 
> Also, I'm moving like, in two days which is why I went off the grid and I'm gonna be kinda inconsistent for awhile.

Baby was picking at spaghetti that had gone cold over an hour ago. His eyes were trained on the table in front of him, music blaring in his ears, and his hand twirling the fork almost automatically. 

"You don't have to eat it," Darling said. 

"I know," Baby said. He didn't move. 

Darling patted his shoulder before leaving him alone in the dining room. She entered the small sitting room by the front door, where Buddy, Griff, and Doc were talking in hushed voices. They went silent and tried to look casual when they heard the slide of the dining room door. 

"Relax, dumbasses. It's me." She rolled her eyes and perched herself on Buddy's lap. 

Griff didn't even do the traditional slow drag of his eyes over her body like always. He hardly even glanced in her direction. "So, I found out that this guy has personal beef with Doc. He wasn't under anybody's orders when he... attacked. Oh, and his name's Bones."

"I thought we confirmed that he worked for Mad Dog," Doc said. 

"He did. Apparently his wife was in a bank you hit, she was taken out. He told Mad Dog that he was going after you, and Maddy told him to shove it. I talked to Maddy today, he said that this guy came back and asked for help taking out Baby." It was the first time Griff had been able to get information out without trailing off into some theory about how to enhance their job performance. 

"You did all that?" Doc asked. Griff nodded. "Since when do you do extra credit work?" 

"Since I had to watch that kid go through some of the most fucked up psychological torture I've ever seen. C'mon, Doc. I'm not heartless."

"But you do hate Baby," Darling said. The snarl of her voice was dangerous enough to send a shiver down the collective spines in the room. 

"He -" Griff sighed. "I did. But he doesn't deserve this." 

"Aw, well isn't that sweet of you." Darling practically spit at his feet. 

"Something wrong, my charming little lady?" Buddy asked. 

"Sorry, but having someone who blatantly tried to make Baby's life Hell in our house doesn't sit quite right with me."

"Let's take it easy. This isn't helping Baby," Doc said. "We need a plan." 

"Easy. Get this guy's home address from Mad Dog, tie him up in the basement and make him regret ever even seeing Baby," Griff said. 

"I like it. I can burn his eyes out with my curling wand." Darling's smile was menacing in a way that Buddy hadn't seen in awhile. 

"Wait a minute now. What basement is this happening in?" Buddy interrupted. 

"You're telling me there's no basement in this big ol' house?" Griff asked, looking a little miffed. 

"No, no, we've got a basement. Oh, and we've got that nice fire place!" Darling clapped her hands. "We can stick the fire poker in the flames for a bit and then brand him!" 

"Doc, you've gotta stop this," Buddy said. 

"Truth be told, I'm in no position to -" He was cut off by the doorbell ringing. "Are you expecting someone?" 

"It's probably neighborhood watch. They always come over if there are any cars in our driveway." Buddy opened the front door, fully prepared to tell the guy down the street to fuck off. What he got instead was the barrel of a double barrel rifle jammed into his chest.

"Heard you needed a babysitter?" the man behind the gun asked, his stained teeth forming a crooked grin. 

"That's clever. Did it take you all night to think of that, or was it on the spot?" Griff barked. 

Buddy was pushed backwards into his house, his hands raised in surrender. Darling pressed back against the double doors to the dining room. While Bones kicked their front door shut, she pulled them closed. 

"Tell me where Baby is," Bones demanded. 

"He's in Seattle," Griff said, at the same time Darling said "He's out for a drive." They glared at each other out of the corners of their eyes. 

"Cute." Bones smiled again before he shot Buddy square in the liver. 

Darling hit the floor almost before he did, her hands already pressing over the wound to stop the bleeding. Just for good measure, Bones shot her in the shoulder. 

Griff launched himself at Bones. He got a few good throws in, but the butt of the gun knocked against his skull. As Griff slumped to the floor, too dazed to keep his balance, the doors to the dining room slammed open. 

Bones wrapped his hand in Doc's tie and dragged the shorter man to his feet. The gun honed in on Baby, who stood frozen in the doorway. 

"Doc?" The quiet rasp of Baby's voice cut Doc to his core. His hands twitched into fists by his hands. 

"Doc?" Bones mocked. "How about this? I'm gonna break Baby so badly that you won't be able to fix him. And if anyone in this room moves, I'll kill him. Sound fair?" 

"Fuck you." Doc could smell a bluff a mile off. Unfortunately, Bones was too much of a wild card to tell. But he figured it was worth a shot. The look of betrayal that crossed Baby's face made him hate his own arrogance. 

In the blink of an eye, Bones had crushed both of Doc's kneecaps with his steel-toed work boots. Baby's heart beat in his throat as he heard Doc's shout. Without even thinking he threw himself to Doc's side. 

Bones caught him around the waist as he tried to rush past. Using Baby's own momentum against him, Bones spun them and pinned Baby to the wall. Baby looked around frantically. Darling and Buddy were bleeding out, side by side on the floor. Griff's eyes were staring ahead, unfocused as his head lulled to the side. Doc was shouting, trying to stand but only making his injuries worse in the process. 

Baby didn't know what to say. He wasn't worth this. He wasn't somebody to kill or die for. Sure, he was a good driver, but he wasn't irreplaceable. Buddy could drive too. 

Rough hands were unbuckling Baby's belt. He was screaming, but he didn't know what he was saying. His blunt fingernails ripped at Bones' neck, but he wasn't strong enough to break the skin. Socked feet kicked uselessly at the man's meaty calves. 

His belt hit the floor and the fight drained out of him. Suddenly, he realized it was over. There was nobody to help, and he wasn't strong enough. Looking over Bones' shoulder, Baby managed to make eye contact with Doc. 

"I'm sorry," he said. 

Doc could see Baby's eyes getting red as he tried to hold back tears. His legs were going numb, he tried moving his foot but he it didn't budge. He tried to keep his focus on Baby, wanting to offer what little comfort he could provide. With a pang in his chest, he realized that he couldn't meet Baby's eyes. How many times had he told Baby that he would always look out for him? And now, when he needed it most, Doc was worthless. 

Shame bubbled in Baby's chest when he noticed Doc couldn't look at him. He felt disgusting, like more of a monster than the man who's hands were raking over his skin. 

Griff bowled into Bones from the side. Baby just stood there for a moment, back pressed against the wall. Even with the addition of shock, Griff quickly lost the upper hand. Bones did have a good 50 lbs on him, and Griff's head was still spinning from the blow. 

"Baby, run!" Griff shouted, between catching fists with his cheeks. 

A new song started on Baby's ipod, something with an urgent guitar riff. He looked towards the front door. All he could imagine was himself stumbling down the streets, vulnerable to anybody walking by. 

He looked to wear Darling was trying to plug Buddy's gunshot with her sock, while also trying to catch the blood that fell from her own. She and Doc were both shouting at Baby to get out of the house. 

No. Baby wasn't worth this. He wasn't gonna run and make them all suffer because he couldn't take care of himself. Time to make a big boy decision. 

He scooped the gun off the floor and took a shot. The bullet buried itself in the wall, nowhere near Bones' head. Fuck, he'd already forgotten what Buddy said about the recoil. 

The sound made Bones stop. He turned on Baby, deciding that Griff was weakened enough for the time being. With trembling hands, Baby took another shot. It didn't even matter how much his hands shook, because the clip was empty. 

Baby took off towards the kitchen so fast that his socks slipped along the wood floor. He yanked open the drawers desperately, his hands rattling around the utensils inside. 

Bones grabbed him and tossed him onto the island. Baby landed flat on his back on the marble counter top. 

"Don't worry, I brought you music," Bones said as he pulled out Baby's earbuds. He pulled a small speaker out of his pocket and placed it right by Baby's squirming head. The moment he hit play on his phone, a familiar set of desperate cries filled the room. 

Baby froze. For a second, he felt himself losing it. He felt like he was laying under the water as the surface of the pond froze over. 

No. Doc was just on the other side of the door, and he'd need a driver for the next 6-8 weeks while his legs healed. Buddy and Darling would need someone to make meals and take care of them while they healed. They needed Baby now. 

His grip tightened on the gun in his hand. The arch of the swing was perfect, stopping right at the base of Bones' skull. The next hit landed on the speaker, the metal of the pistol shattering it quickly. 

Griff stumbled into the room, ready to fight, but couldn't see a single person. The loud rhythmic grunting he heard instead made his stomach flip. He circled the island, prepared to drag Bones off of Baby. His hand was clenched around a t-shirt before he realized that Baby was the one sitting on Bones' chest. 

Panting, Baby paused and looked over his shoulder. He met Griff's eyes briefly before he went back to ramming the gun into Bones' head over and over. The other man was weak, but still breathing. The longer he lasted, the more feral Baby seemed to get. 

Griff ruffled Baby's hair as he walked around him. Calmly, he searched through the remaining cabinets until he found a thick steak knife. He crouched by Bones' head, bringing himself face to face with Baby. 

"This oughtta help," he said, holding out the knife. 

Baby just stared at the handle, his chest heaving and his face splattered with blood. "Doc?" 

"Called for backup as soon as Bones was out of earshot. He'll be getting medical attention shortly."

"Buddy and Darling?" 

"Buddy's conscious again. He's survived worse gunshots. Darling's worried about you, but she's losing blood fast. Again, medics will be here soon. She'll be just fine." 

"You?" 

Griff's face burned as he smirked. "Fuck off." 

Baby nodded to himself. He wiped his nose with his sleeve and dropped the gun on the floor. It clattered loudly as he grabbed the knife from Griff's hand. 

"Thank," he said. 

"No problem." Griff grabbed a bottle of wine off the counter and sat back to watch Baby work. He tilted his head as he studied Baby's technique. 

"Hold it with both hands, you'll get more power," he offered. "C'mon, cowboy. Is this your first rodeo? Get closer to his neck, you won't get anywhere if you keep hitting bone." 

Medics arrived, but Griff waved them off before they even saw Baby. The kid was fine, but exhausted. He collapsed besides Griff and tossed the knife towards Bones' still twitching body. Without a word, Baby grabbed the wine bottle from Griff's hands and started drinking. 

He'd swallowed almost half the bottle before Griff stopped him. "Take it easy. I don't want you throwing up." 

"It's over," Baby said. 

"Yeah, kid." Griff wrapped an arm around Baby's shoulders and pulled him closer. "You did it."


End file.
